Finland’s streak at the World Ice Hockey Championships ended with a dramatic overtime loss to Sweden with 1–2 goals. Sports expert Ismo Lehkonen highlights three excerpts from Leijon.
1. Bad whistle from the referee
The semi-final was decided in overtime when Joel Eriksson Ek directed the overpowering hit that played perfectly Emil Larmin behind the back. It was in the background Konsta Helenius received by the head coach of the Lions Jukka Jalonen did not melt.
Lehkonen understands Jalos. The expert reminds that the judge must be 100% sure in overtime in similar situations that the act is really worthy of a suspension.
– It cannot happen that there is a soft whistling, which can be justified afterwards that it does look like a hook, says Lehkonen.
– I think the situation was 20-80, i.e. not even fifty-fifty. Then you don’t raise your hand.
Lehkonen reminds that the whistle whistled in overtime is particularly harsh, as the opponent gets to play two minutes with four against three.
– When the handle of the racket hits the tank top, they can justify it afterwards. It was a poor and soft whistle though. You shouldn’t whistle like that in overtime, Lehkonen says and continues:
– Sweden threw 100-point NHL players onto the field and it was only a matter of time, because the cage is swinging.
The expert downloads a hard estimate. According to him, if you lined up 100 judges, 99 would have left in the cold without blowing a whistle. He points out that the referees whistled two soft whistles for Finland during the actual game time as well.
– It left a bitter taste, but the right team went on. Finland was clearly the underdog and received more game-wise.
However, according to Lehkonen, Leijonat managed to gather all their resources and played their best match of the tournament. He even points out that Finland sometimes got Sweden, equipped with top players, “in quite a pinch”.
– Finland was able to hold Sweden to just under fifteen goals. It’s a tough feat. Finland was able to create just under 10 goal chances and with a little better luck, the Lions could have led the match.
2. For first-timers, Sweden is tough
The expert reminds that Finland played with ten first-timers against Sweden’s NHL star cream. For example, there were first-timers at the most important place of the game, i.e. center Oliver Kapanen, Arttu Hyry and Konsta Helenius.
– Still, we were able to play such a game against Sweden, the expert points out.
According to Lehkonen, the second chain led by Kapanen was by far Finland’s best chain against Sweden. However, he was positively surprised by the performance of 18-year-old Helenius.
– Helenius could play against tough centers and defensive lines just like the others. It’s really sad for the boy that he personally experienced such a bump and disappointment in overtime.
The expert emphasizes that Helenius still has a long way to go to the leading roles in the NHL, but in a single World Cup match, the youngster’s performance was positive.
– If you look at the five goals scored in the games Connor Bedard, the more he has trouble playing two directions. That’s why he was Canada’s 13th forward in the quarterfinals.
3. Jukka Jalonen is only thirsty for wins
According to Ismo Lehkonen, the Lions’ last-second loss to Austria in the preliminary round steered the tournament in the wrong direction. After the loss, the players really felt a lot of external pressure.
When the offensive game didn’t work, the play went down to gnashing of teeth. The game lacked cheerfulness and relaxation, and Finland did not dare to play with the puck.
– During the tournament, Finland threw almost 250 pucks in seven games. That’s an awful lot. It shows that the players felt the pressure and wanted to play the minimum, says Lehkonen.
However, in the semi-final against Sweden, the players relaxed.
– All in all, this was a huge increase. Finland left a really good taste of what the essence of a Finn is.
Jukka Jalonen’s career as Leijoni’s head coach ended in Ostrava. According to his words, after the match, the head coach couldn’t analyze his thoughts on the matter further, because the game was on top of his mind.
According to the expert, Jalonen’s recent statements reflect how winning is still at the center of everything for the 61-year-old giant.
– He wants to win at any cost and in any group. He refuses to lose. And if it comes down to it, it’s hell on earth for him. If he were more indifferent, he probably wouldn’t coach anymore, says Lehkonen, who already knows Jalonen from his playing career.
According to the expert, Jalonen’s legacy is winning. Finland can always go to World Cup tournaments to win one way or another, regardless of the material.
– Three World Championship golds, one Olympic gold and other good rankings. Will any of the following national team coaches achieve this? I don’t believe that.